# Countdown vs Vacation Countdown Widget

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Countdown at 72% against Vacation Countdown Widget's 30%. Countdown also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (186K vs 101). Vacation Countdown Widget's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Countdown sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Vacation Countdown Widget sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Countdown holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Countdown has 186K ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Countdown's written reviews are positive against 30% of Vacation Countdown Widget's.

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, Vacation Countdown Widget every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Countdown | Vacation Countdown Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (186K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428/reviews)** | [4.4 (101 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown-widget/id1529247289/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **186K** | 101 |
| Positive reviews | **71.9% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Find Appiness LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685887104) | [Csaba Huszar](https://appshunter.io/developer/336604780) |

## What reviewers say

### Countdown

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/countdown/id1403367428)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Utilities (US App Store)

Easily track important dates and events with a customizable countdown timer. Set reminders, organize events with tags, and view upcoming dates on your home screen or Apple Watch. Syncs across devices and offers various counting options.

**Highlights:** Customizable countdown timer, Event reminders, Home screen widgets, Apple Watch support, Event sharing, iCloud sync, Repeatable countdowns

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start 7-Day Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Countdown Widget Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Countdown Widget | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 🎨 Customizable colors and emojis
- ⏰ Accurate countdown tracking
- 🔔 Helpful reminders and notifications
- 💰 One-time payment for premium features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Paid widget feature
- 🔍 Lack of instructions/guidance
- 🔀 Inconsistent countdown display on widget
- 📅 Limited repeat options for events
- 🖼️ No option to use custom photos

**Reported bugs**

- Widget not updating automatically
- Countdown display issues after iOS 14 update
- Inability to delete archived events

**Requested features**

- Add ability to count up from past events
- Provide more date/time format options
- Implement calendar view for all events
- Allow custom backgrounds for widgets
- Add support for weekly/monthly repeating events


### Vacation Countdown Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vacation-countdown-widget/id1529247289)

This app helps you keep track of important upcoming events like birthdays, holidays, and vacations. Create visually appealing countdowns with custom colors and images, and display them directly on your home screen using widgets. Never miss a special occasion again.

**Highlights:** Event countdown creation, Customizable colors, Premium stock images, User-uploaded images, iOS 14 Widgets support, Dark mode support, Unlimited event creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CountDown Premium | $5.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Countdown free?

Countdown is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Vacation Countdown Widget free?

Vacation Countdown Widget is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Countdown or Vacation Countdown Widget?

Countdown is rated higher. Countdown averages 4.8 out of 5 from 186K ratings, while Vacation Countdown Widget averages 4.4 from 101 ratings.

### Do Countdown or Vacation Countdown Widget have ads?

Countdown shows ads; Vacation Countdown Widget does not.

### Which is updated more often, Countdown or Vacation Countdown Widget?

Countdown ships an update every 4 days, and Vacation Countdown Widget every 5 days. Most recently, Countdown was updated on September 25, 2026 and Vacation Countdown Widget on July 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*